United We Stand
by Nymphadora'sLupin
Summary: When Harry faced Voldemort in the graveyard, it wasn't just ghosts that came out of his wand. Lily, James and Cedric are alive, with no idea of what has happened. When Harry is reunited with his parents, will he finally have the family he has dreamed of? Or will the 21-year-olds have no idea on how to raise their fifteen year old son?
1. Chapter 1

'The ground is so bloody uncomfortable…' James Potter shifted slightly on the rough surface. 'Wait, what?' He shot up, stumbling a little as his head spun. 'Where am I?' Everything was blurry and unfocused as he looked around the unfamiliar place – his glasses were gone. After realising this, he frantically searched his robes for his wand and sighed in relief when he pulled it out of his pocket. Now that he was slightly calmer, he took another moment to examine the place. It was getting dark, yet he could still make out the shapes of gravestones. 'Why am I in a graveyard?' He wondered. All of this was forgotten when he saw bright red – Lily. Her hair was the only splash of colour in the area. He rushed over to her place on the ground, shaking her roughly.

"LILY! LILY WAKE UP! No… you can't be dead. Please. LILY!" James was sobbing at this point, desperately searching his wife for signs of life. He held her tightly and begged her to wake up.

A hand grabbed his wrist, and with a gasp, Lily Evans woke up for the first time in fourteen years. Neither let go as the couple sat together, in a dark place and without a clue of what happened. It would all be okay, as long as they were together.

"Uhm, excuse me?" A young boy, who couldn't be older than 17 looked down at them. "Sorry, just… I'm a bit lost. I go to Hogwarts, but I was brought here and, well, I don't suppose you've seen a cup? Or Harry? He was with me except, I think I blacked out." He said this all very fast, shifting from side to side anxiously.

James had to clear his throat before speaking. "I'm afraid we're just as lost as you mate."

"But we can take you to Hogwarts. We have to pay a visit to someone there anyway." Lily spoke up for the first time. Dumbledore would be able to explain what was going on right? She wanted answers and he would be sure to have them.

When the boy nodded his head gratefully the couple stood up and dusted themselves off. Lily held out her arm to the boy before disapparating from the spot. James was quick to follow.

They arrived a fair bit away from the castle. "We'll have to walk the rest of the way I'm afraid." And James, Lily and Cedric began the long walk home.

 _So this is just a quick introduction to the story, what do you think? I know it's short it's just to get it started._


	2. Chapter 2

James, Lily and Cedric all had to supress a shiver when they finally arrived at their old school. Hogwarts was unusually dark and silent. Their footsteps echoed as they entered the castle and slowly made their way to Dumbledore's office.

The place was obviously empty but they still tried to avoid making any noise and flinched at even the tiniest sound. Lily couldn't help but feel like a child that had broken the rules. The trio let out a sigh of relief when the gargoyle finally came into view.

"Cockroach Clusters!"

"Fizzing Whizbee, acid pops, sherbet lemon?"

"James… it's already open."

James opened his mouth to reply but then decided to ignore Lily's remark and follow Cedric inside. Albus Dumbledore was already sitting proudly at his desk with a rather emotionless look on his face. James, who had been in the headmaster's office numerous times, found it rather concerning when the old man didn't greet them, or even offer a sweet.

"So… what's happening?" James asked awkwardly.

The old man slowly rose from his desk and pointed his wand.

"Who are you?"

Cedric stepped forward with a look of confusion.

"It's me Professor, Cedric Diggory. These two helped me back to the school."

"Prove it." Dumbledore demanded.

"What, how?" Lily and Cedric were starting to look worried. James, however, was confident. Being an animagus was extremely useful when it came to proving his identity to the Order. Prongs was one thing that no potion or spell could copy. Taking a deep breath, James transformed into a stag. Cedric stepped back in shock, while Dumbledore collapsed in his chair. Lily ran her hands through her fur, and when he changed back held tightly to him, searching for comfort in her husband's arms.

"But, how?" At the sight of the speechless headmaster James thought for a moment of the bets he made with Sirius and Remus all those years ago. Remus believed that with all the mischief James and Sirius were involved in, one day they would cause the old man to go into shock. They had denied it at the time because no matter how old Dumbledore got, he was never surprised by his students' actions. With a feeling of both pride and disappointment he realised that he now owed Remus five galleons.

"Sorry Professsor?" Lily asked.

He hesitated.

"You can't be here. It's impossible, but somehow you've done it. It's impossible because you three are dead."

"What?! No I'm not! I just got lost, the portkey took me somewhere else and I think I must've lost consciousness for a bit there but..." Realisation his Cedric, his breathing became faster and he wobbled a bit where he stood. "There were people there! In the graveyard! They wanted Harry, I don't know why! And then there was this green light – he killed me! Some random guy just killed me!"

They all looked at the teen with sympathy.

"It's okay Cedric, you're okay." Lily pulled him into a hug, letting her natural mothering instincts take over. She stroked his hair and hummed until he relaxed enough to keep talking.

"She's right Cedric. Somehow you've done the impossible. How I do not know, but for the moment I think the best thing is for you to be reunited with your family. They will be ecstatic." Dumbledore began to lead the shaken boy away. "I will take Cedric home and explain things to Amos. Until then, Lily and James, I must ask you to stay put. You have no idea what has changed." The Potters nodded as they watched the two step into the fireplace. They disappeared with a flash of emerald green flames.

Lily and James were left alone in the office.


	3. Chapter 3

While Dumbledore was dealing with the Diggory family, Lily and James were free to talk without worry. At the moment though, everything was far too confusing and complicated to even attempt to put into words. Instead they sat in a comfortable silence, and almost hoped that the headmaster would take a lot longer than expected.

As it was, it was almost an hour before he arrived back in the fireplace. "James, Lily, we have quite a lot to discuss I'm afraid and not all of it is good news. Perhaps we should talk tomorrow after a good nights rest." The Potters weren't having any of it, and besides the couple felt surprisingly well rested.

With a sigh, Albus Dumbledore began to explain over a decade of events to the couple who had cheated death. Rather like the Boy who Lived, he thought. First, he explained what happened at Godric's Hollow, and that Harry Potter was indeed alive and well. James had about a million questions, most of which were better left until the person involved could explain. Everything about Harry's adventures, the Dursleys and Voldemort rising again was left out. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were also carefully avoided with only one mention – that the rat was to blame for their death. Lily wept, and James was angry but soon the topic was changed to their fifteen year old son and they decided to focus only on the present.

They had learnt about their death, that it was Pettigrew's fault, and that their son was soon to be in his fifth year. They knew the Order of the Phoenix was still going strong all important Ministry of Magic events. How they survived was a major issue, one that they didn't feel up to just yet and was also necessary in the presence of Order members.

After this, they were left alone for the night in a spare room at Hogwarts, with Gryffindor red covering everything. Lily was finally given the opportunity to break down and be comforted without people watching and even James was feeling a bit out of it. More than anything, they wanted to go back in time and raise their son, who was now old enough to be left on his own mostly, and probably didn't want anything to do with them whatsoever. Still they had to try and the first step was to get a good night sleep before being reintroduced to everyone in the morning. With a flick of his wand James closed the curtains magically as Lily got into bed. Or at least, that was what he meant to do. With a large bang and a crash, one of the most talented young wizards went flying across the room and the curtains stayed exactly where they were.

"JAMES!"

 _Wow this is really short and absolutely terrible - so sorry. I am ridiculously tired though and have been having quite a horrible time recently so this is the best I can do at the moment. I haven't really looked to closely at it - I'm sure there are heaps of mistakes so please excuse._


	4. Chapter 4

Lily ran over to her husband, who was laying in what had to be the most uncomfortable position on the floor. He looked up at her with a startled expression and let her check him for injuries before they sat hugging for a bit. When she released him, James was forced to hold onto her awkwardly as they struggled to get to the bed. "What just happened?" he asked. "All I tried to do was fix the curtains."

"I have no idea. Until we figure it out no more magic okay?"

"It was fine earlier," James argued "we left the graveyard with no problem."

"I don't care James. Something just happened and we don't know why. You could have been really hurt." She didn't want to take any chances. "Besides, we want to see Harry don't we? We can't if we get ourselves killed." _Again…_ she added to herself.

James reluctantly agreed and the two finally settled down to sleep. By morning, however, neither had gotten any sleep. Partly because they were still trying to piece everything together, the world had gone off without them for what, fourteen years?

James couldn't remember dying, and he certainly couldn't believe that Peter had betrayed them. After all they had been through together, all four of them, James had trusted them all with his life. Not only that, but Harry and Lily's as well. If they had died wouldn't it have been James to blame? He was the one who had accepted Peter into the marauders all those years ago, and it was him who had let him become secret keeper. _What kind of father was he?_ Tears began to build in his eyes but he made himself stay completely still and quiet, after all the damage he had done James certainly wasn't going to disrupt Lily's sleep.

Of course, Lily wasn't actually asleep. She had no memories of dying either, the last thing she remembered was rocking a little baby Harry in her arms. _He must be quite big now,_ she thought. _I don't suppose he'll want lots of attention_. That made her sad. Her baby had survived, and, by some miracle, so had they. She should be happy to have another chance, and with her family as well. But Lily was still her 21 year old self, and she wanted her baby back. She wanted to hold his hand and watch him grow up and even teach him everything she knew. Now Harry Potter was a stranger, with no feelings towards her or James and completely unpredictable in his actions. This is what kept her up all night, until the sun began to rise through the open curtains.

It was Lily who 'woke up' first. She turned to face James, only to find him already awake and looking at her. It was obvious that something was bothering him, and the dark circles showed that he hadn't slept much either. She didn't bother to ask for two reasons. One – What was happening at the moment was very confusing and stressful, anyone would be upset, and two – James would come to her only when he wanted to and not before. There was no use prying.

With no spare clothes, James and Lily were left wearing what seemed to be burial clothes – something which was extremely off-putting once they realised. Suddenly, everything was all too real. Spending a night a Hogwarts, talking to Dumbledore, it was all familiar. But this was proof, they had died. Everyone thought they were dead. And the usually optimistic James Potter was filled with dread. Was there a place for them in this world of the living?

"Cockroach Clusters!" Lily announced, bringing him from his thoughts.

When did they reach Dumbledore's office?

"Ahh, there you both are. Now I would suggest we stop for breakfast but I suppose you two are too eager to leave?" James and Lily nodded firmly, and she was almost jumping up and down with excitement.

It was a long journey to get to the location of the Order of the Phoenix. James and Lily were both starting to regret skipping breakfast, and dinner the day before. _But it'll be worth it_ , Lily thought happily. When they were out of the schools boundaries, Dumbledore ordered them to apparate and gave them a location. _I wonder if I should mention what happened last night?_ James decided to bring it up as they were walking along a surprisingly empty street. Dumbledore stopped walking for a moment. James had to pull Lily back as she kept walking distractedly. "I haven't a clue James. You two a mystery, there is no guide book to this. However, there may not be any great reason. Perhaps you are simply… out of practise?" Without another word he handed James a slip of paper. It was passed to Lily and then destroyed.

They entered the building that appeared out of nowhere and were led into a crowded kitchen. The second they walked in there was an explosion of noise.

An older, more scarred version of Alastor Moody was the first to have a reaction. His auror training had kicked in first and he was standing with his wand at the ready. A young girl with bright, unnatural coloured hair quickly followed, as well as two middle-aged red heads. It was the other two people in the room that caught James' attention.

A gaunt older man with dark hair had remained at the table, with a blank expression on his face. Next to him, another man with gray hairs and big circles under his eyes. He was looking down at the table. They were a lot older, even though James was sure they hadn't been gone _that_ long and they sat at a distance – not like when they were younger and would sit as close as possible (to whisper plans or insults, or perhaps even play footsie under the table). Still they were Sirius and Remus. His best friends.

If it weren't for all the people threatening him and Lily, he would've already run over to them. He didn't really want to wait though. Boring conversations could happen later.

"SIRI! I'VE MISSED YOU! AND YOU TOO REMUS!" James grinned happily, and for the first time since he came back to life, he was genuinely happy and excited. He didn't have to worry, they were his best friends. No matter what.

Nobody moved. James was disappointed, but more than that he began to feel guilty again. Were they mad at him for dying? Or coming back? Did they even want him there anymore? James Potter almost felt like crying but he pushed it back, because there were people there and Lily. Lily, who might be all he had left. So James wouldn't cry.

Lily was worried for James. Something major was bothering him. It wasn't the best time to bring it up though, with everyone pointing their wands at them. One wrong movement or word could be their death.

"Everyone calm down." Their leader and headmaster was, as usual, the calmest one in the room.

"What are you doing bringing them in here? Have you gone mad?!"

"Calm down Alastor. They are who they say they are."

"Prove it." Sirius had turned to look James right in the eyes. "Prove that you're him, that you're Prongs."

And so James turned into a stag once more. Everyone lowered their wands, although Mad-Eye didn't seem happy about it. The red-heads began whispering to each other and the girl gave a friendly smile before pulling Mad-Eye away. Dumbledore left, and it was time for four friends to reunite. Sirius and Remus had risen slowly, and Remus still hadn't looked up since they first walked in the room. It was like waiting for frightened animals to approach. Sirius made it first, or perhaps Remus had let him and just put a hand on James' chest.

"You're real." He whispered before hugging his best friend tightly. It was a shock when Sirius actually started crying – Sirius, who was probably the strongest of them all. But it had been a hard life, and James Potter, who was his first and best friend, the one person who was always there - and the one whose death he had accidentally caused.

Then there was a hand on his shoulder. He let go of James and there was Lily Potter. The girl whose death he was also responsible for, yet here she was. He laughed through his tears and lifted her into the air, swinging her around. Her bright red hair followed and she was also laughing, as young and beautiful as she was all those years ago. He put her down, and then it was Remus' turn.

He came towards James first, and in the same sort of way reached out to feel the yes, they were really, truly alive. James pulled him into a hug first this time, Remus could've hesitated forever and he was anything but patient.

It was a long hug, with no crying this time and Remus let go only to practically throw himself towards Lily.

Now, it was time for introductions. The first was Nymphadora Tonks (but it was just Tonks actually, which she was very passionate about telling people). Then came Molly and Arthur Weasley, who were friendly enough, but Lily got the impression that Molly was trying to murder her with her eyes. A nod towards Mad-Eye Moody and they were done. But Lily was a mother, and throughout all of this her mind was still on her son.

"So… where's Harry?"

 _So that's another chapter. I really am determined to finish this, no matter how long it takes me._

 _Oh and thank you to everyone who reviews! It really does make me want to write more._

 _Just to answer a few questions-_

 _Will this be a long story? Probably, I have a lot of ideas I wanted to put in. And for pairings, I'm not entirely sure. James and Lily are obvious, but I'm still deciding about Remus and Tonks (most likely) and then I don't know about Harry and Ginny or Hermione and Ron. Is there any you guys definitely want (or don't)?_

 _So next chapter should introduce Harry, and Cedric will probably make a few more appearances at some point. The plan is to still have Umbridge teaching and Snape will also be in the story - but I don't know how much yes there will be a lot of explanations and confessions._

 _And for the person who asked for longer chapters - I tried for this one. I love long stories so I will try to keep doing long chapters._


	5. Chapter 5

"Hasn't anyone told you?" Molly asked.

Everyone began a complicated conversation through different looks and facial expression, making the Potters worry even more about their teenage boy.

"Well where is he?" Lily demanded. "I want to meet him."

"C'mon where are you hiding him. Padfoot?" He was really hoping that Harry was here, then again where else could he possibly be?

Sirius was really not looking forward to that question. It was going to be hard to tell James and Lily that poor Harry had been left with his aunt and uncle. But once again, Sirius was to blame, and so he had to explain. "Harry is at home, Prongs. Home meaning Privet Drive."

"Wait, what?" Lily was furious. "He should be with you!"

"He couldn't Lils. He had a very good reason I promise."

"What could possibly be a good enough reason to leave him with _them_?"

The other members of the Order began to exit the room. Soon it was just the four of them left, not that anyone noticed. Sirius decided to start with Peter and what he did, then he could explain the rest.

"YES SIRIUS WE KNOW! I'm asking about HARRY, NOT PETER!" Lily's face was starting to go red with anger.

"It's all important okay Lily? Just be patient." Remus was the reasonable one, calm and usually the bravest when it came to Lily's temper.

Sirius shortened the bits about Peter, but still tried to drag it out as long as possible before having to talk about Azkaban. He told them everything, including Harry helping him escape two years ago. At the end, there was a silence. Even Remus, who knew what happened didn't like to hear about how damaged his friend had become.

Lily was ashamed of her outburst and apologised, before the group of friends all hugged again. Today was very emotional for everyone, James and Lily were feeling especially exhausted.

"But why isn't he with you then Remus? Or Alice and Frank?"

"You know I wouldn't be allowed. And Alice and Frank are… unwell."

"They were tortured. Lost their minds and now they don't even recognise their own son." Better get it all out now, Sirius thought. No point in tell half-truths.

They were horrified. Alice and Frank were some of the strongest young people in the Order, and the kindest. Nobody deserved their fate, of course, but especially not them.

In order to lighten the mood a bit Remus decided to go back to happier topics.

"Why don't we see if we can collect Harry from his aunt and uncle? He deserves to know you two are back."

Everyone gathered back in the kitchen to discuss a plan. Lily and James were convinced to stay behind, because things needed to be explained to Harry first, and besides dead people can't just go walking around as if nothing has happened. Remus, Mad-Eye and Tonks were going to get Harry, along with Kingsley Shacklebolt who wasn't staying at Grimmauld Place.

Waiting was torture.

Hours later, James and Lily had finally made themselves at home, cuddled together on the couch and chatting with the Weasleys' and Sirius. When Lily heard that Molly and Arthur had no less than seven children, she raised a suggestive eyebrow at James – who looked absolutely terrified much to Sirius' amusement.

The Weasley kids and one Hermione Granger had been ordered to remain upstairs before the meeting. There was a moment of panic when two red-haired boys had decided to sneak around and a furious Molly told them to keep their mouths shout and go back to their room. Lily had a different idea, and invited them to sit down. After the initial shock they introduced themselves as Fred and George, not that Lily and James could tell the difference.

James, who noticed the signs of fellow pranksters, decided to start on the topic of 'who caused the most trouble at Hogwarts'. Hearing that James, Sirius and Remus were once the Marauders was cause of great excitement. Soon the four of them were throwing new and old ideas around and the twins found themselves very fond of James Potter. Not only that, but Sirius was being more talkative than ever, and the smile had hardly left his face once.

Lily and Molly listened in for a bit but soon decided it really would be better not to know. Besides, Arthur was once again on the topic of Muggles and was rambling on about all sorts of things.

When the front door finally opened, the calm aura was interrupted and they all leapt to their feet. Fred and George had disappeared once more, probably to get the others.

Harry was brought into the room and his eyes locked on what Remus told him were his parents. They were young, much younger than Harry had expected. Lily's dark-red hair stood out near the lighter hair of the Weasleys' and her green eyes were so much like his. His father did look a lot like Harry himself, with messy hair and glasses, but he was taller and had slightly different features. Harry stared at them blankly, as James and Lily nervously waited for him to move. Just when Lily was getting inpatient and was going to talk to him, he turned away.

James felt like his worst nightmare was coming true, Harry didn't want him, didn't like him. It was his fault Harry had grown up without parents, and now he didn't need them. He had expected it, but it didn't hurt any less. Looking at Harry now, he wasn't sure why he even hoped for more. The boy looked like a mini-James, except younger and… darker. Harry's dark hair was all over the place, but getting too long and his eyes – so clear and loving on Lily- looked like they could kill. He hadn't shown one emotion since coming into the house and James was almost scared. This was his son, yet they were wary strangers.

Lily looked heartbroken when Harry looked away. Her baby boy had grown up without her, he looked so small, so sad. She felt the need to reach out, hold him and love him – at the same time, it was like approaching a frightened animal, worrying that it might run away.

But then Harry saw Sirius, and he smiled a bigger smile than ever before. "SIRIUS!" he shouted with joy before jumping into his godfather's arms. The two were absolutely overjoyed at meeting again and when they released each other began talking immediately. Harry sent glares towards James and Lily, almost as if saying 'stay away'.

There was nothing they could do but watch, as their best friend lead their son away into the kitchens, as everyone fussed over him and held him, talked as if they were a family. James and Lily had been gone a long time and everyone's lives had continued without them.

Perhaps it had been too long.


	6. Chapter 6

So... It's been a while obviously. My computer was wiped as well and I've completely forgotten where I am going with this. But I can try to continue, or restart the story (delete it and rewrite the chapters)

Any ideas on which I should do?


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